Bigwigs Heed Jokinen

SUNRISE — Captain Olli Jokinen's complaints about problems related to the team sharing a plane with 100 season-ticket holders on the trip to Atlanta for Friday's game got the ear of Panthers management.

"We take seriously what the team captain says," Panthers Chief Operating Officer Michael Yormark said Saturday. "We want to be sure players agree with what we are doing on the business side."

It wasn't the fans who upset Jokinen, it was the distractions caused as the Panthers headed to one of their biggest games of the season.

The Panthers had to charter a larger plane to accommodate the fans and then got stuck sitting on the runway for two hours because of a mechanical problem. They arrived in Atlanta two hours late.

Last year fans were invited on a road trip to Atlanta, but took a separate plane.

Yormark said the trip had been arranged by previous management and was not something he felt could be canceled. "Our season-ticket holders are very important to us, but there might be other ways we can express our appreciation," Yormark said.

The Panthers also had their annual "Waiter, There's a Puck in My Soup" dinner Monday, which also required players to change their routines.

Many teams limit off-ice obligations in March, when teams are jockeying for the playoffs.

DISAPPEARING ACT

Right wing Ty Jones, who was a healthy scratch Saturday, played his first game Friday as a Panther.

Jones, 25, was the 16th overall pick by the Blackhawks in 1997 and played in eight games for Chicago in 1997-98. Since then, he has been bouncing around the minors.

"He's a big, strong kid who's going to compete and finish checks, be aggressive and have the odd fight. He's the type of kid we need," Panthers coach John Torchetti said.

Torchetti wasn't sure why Jones never stuck. "Something happened along the way, but of all the research we did, people liked him a lot. He needs to work on his game. He can always get in better shape physically."